Three football fans from Ilkley plan to walk 120 miles in honour of all those affected by dementia.
In April, Charlie Wilson, Oli Cliffe and friend Monty are going to walk 120 miles from Old Trafford in Manchester, to Villa Park in Birmingham, via Bramall Lane in Sheffield for Dementia UK. The lads said:
"We are all big football fans and want to use these iconic stadiums as goals for our walk."
This will be the lads second walk for the charity, in 2025 they walked 80 miles from the Humber Bridge in Hessle to Haworth.
Oli says he wanted to join Charlie and Monty on the walk because of his Grandad Lloyd:
"When I was younger he developed dementia and I had to experience the toll it put on my family, particularly my mum. He would pass away in 2021 and I feel that people with dementia need more support than they can always get."
Charlie has deep rooted experience of dementia having lost three grandparents to the condition, including his nana Norma:
"My Nana Norma was a significant figure in my life, yet when I was thirteen, she suffered from the disease to the point where she harmed my grandpa Eric, ultimately leading to his hospitalization and eventual death. The pain of losing a grandparent because of another is unimaginable. It’s important to note that this wasn’t the Nana I knew; the disease transformed her into someone unrecognizable. When she was placed in a care home, it felt like I had already lost her. Dementia is cruel; you lose someone twice."
Monty is joining Charlie and Oli after seeing how much this fundraising meant to his friends, he joined them on the last day of the walk last year and was moved by their challenge.
To read more and show your support please visit their gofundme page.
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